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Sedans BMW 3-Series BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair
3958 messages, Last post on Aug 26, 2008 at 12:35 PM
You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: lasvegas325 (Oct 10, 2003 7:43 am) |
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 15, 2008 10:26 am) |
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Replying to: sunilb (Apr 19, 2004 9:13 am) |
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Replying to: jodan (Mar 15, 2008 9:53 am) If the car was due for an Inspection II it SHOULD have been performed- either by a dealer or a good BMW independent shop(see below). BMWs need to be maintained by the book, or the repair costs will get you. In most cases, the best way to keep maintenance costs reasonable is to find a GOOD independent BMW tech; you will save 25%-50% on service compared to the dealer. You should also join the BMW Car Club of America, which will provide benefits such as technical advisors and 10%-20% discounts on parts and/or labor at many BMW dealers and independent shops. As you probably know, modern BMWs use a Service Interval Indicator to inform the driver when routine maintenance is required. On a 2004 E46 an oil change will be called for at  15,000 mile intervals. A minor service(Inspection I) will come up at 30,000 miles and a major (Inspection II) service at 60,000 miles. An oil change using synthetic oil will cost $60-$100, an Inspection I $150-$300, and an Inspection II $450-$800. Coolant must be changed every three years-using BMW Coolant ONLY, while the DOT4 brake fluid gets flushed every two years. In the newer cars I change the so-called "Lifetime" ATF fluid or manual transmission oil and the final drive oil every 50,000 to 60,000 miles. On an AWD vehicle you should change the transfer case fluid as well. I also change the oil myself at 7,500 mile intervals using Mobil 1 0W-40 and a BMW filter. Note that my cost numbers are approximate. For example, if you change the oil yourself using a BMW filter and Mobil 1 or BMW synthetic the cost will be $45. Based on my experience, a BMW 3 Series like yours will usually cost $50-$75 per month to maintain. Please don't take offense, but if you are unable or unwilling to maintain your BMW properly you should probably look for a vehicle which does not require quite so much care.
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I own a 2006 330i that has 33,000 miles. I'm already starting to get nervous about when the warranty is up. I owned a 1998 M3 before and was unable to find someone I could trust to take my car to. I hate to say it, but i really feel like i'm going to be ripped off by car shops. I'm a woman who knows very little about cars so i'm not in a position to challenge when they come with all these things that so-called need to be fixed. So I thought I would start my search now for anyone that knows or can recommend a place I can take my car. The dealers are just too darn expensive. I live in the Wilmington, DE area and travel to the Washington DC area alot. So anywhere in between there or even Philadelphia area would be convenient. Thanks!
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Replying to: skj109 (Mar 17, 2008 7:18 am) |
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I have 2003 325i, 50000. The service engine soon comes on and off. It was serviced 3 weeks ago and the light was off, but the service center says it will come on again and so it did. Funny it did! The fault code is/was 2761. Honestly i have a feeling they are doing this on purpose just to sell service you don't need. Anyway can anyone help with reading the code and what can I do to clear it. Thanks! |
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This is a weird one. I have a 2001 325 CiC with 69K. This noise has been there for years. It only occurs when the car has been parked for about 12 hours, and cannot be heard once the morning temps are above around 60 degrees. About two or three seconds after the engine first starts, I hear a scraping noise that almost sounds like a belt or pulley. When I put it in reverse, I hear the noise while backing out of my garage. But once I go forward a short distance it goes away and does not return until the car is again parked overnight. The noise does not happen when I leave work each day. I guess because it's only parked about 8 - 9 hours. If it was a pulley, wouldn't it make noise all the time? Same for the belt? Any ideas are welcome! |
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Replying to: nbb (Mar 19, 2008 10:14 am)
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